Web Application Development Cost: Full Estimate

Around 82 % of vulnerability issues stem from the application code itself. The development team is responsible for foreseeing and preventing all the issues and ensuring the web app looks and functions according to the client’s request. Engineers have to be skillful and knowledgeable of the requested industry. However, it all concludes with the number of resources you have available for building a web app and hiring the most knowledgeable team. 

Devox Software is a web development agency that provides end-to-end professional web development services. We offer a variety of specialists to extend your team. Leveraging expertise in multiple fields, we aim to build future-proof and innovative solutions to promote the growth of our clients. 

How much does it cost to build a web application? In this article, we will discuss web application development cost estimation and everything about web application development: types of web applications, steps of web app development, and elements that affect the cost of development.

What is a Web Application: Definition and Types

A web application is a program that is saved on a separate remote server and delivered through a browser interface over the Internet. Not all websites contain web apps, yet web services are by their definition and nature. So if a website performs a function for the user, it qualifies as a web app.

There is a wide variety of web application types. They are different in what functionality they have, along with their varying pros and cons. Some of the most common web applications are webmails, online calculators, and e-commerce shops. 

Let’s clarify all the web applications considering their types and functionalities:

• Static web application: This is the most common web application on the Internet. It’s built using HTML and CSS to exhibit content and information. It’s also the simplest web application available, so it only allows for the display of limited content and is not flexible. However, it’s possible to exhibit such objects as GIFs, videos, etc. Such pages have no personalization, and to edit the content of a static web application, you would have to download, modify it and return HTML code. 
• Dynamic web application: These applications are responsible for delivering live data on the users’ requests. They are considered one of the best web apps as they offer improved technicalities, such as elements of interactions and ways to draw clients’ attention. With the help of databases, dynamic web applications can store private and public data displayed on the website.  
• E-commerce web application: This type help promote and sell your products and services. An e-commerce web application is very similar to an online shopping store, which includes features like the possibility to update products, manage payments, facilitate online payments, and a user-friendly interface. 
• Single-page web application: SPAs are similar to dynamic web applications but don’t require browser reloads and functions. Such web apps are fast and dynamic, so they facilitate the implementation of different business and technological strategies for clients. In addition, the development and implementation process of SPA is easy and quick. Yet, it is essential to remember that SPAs do not comply with SEO guidelines, so they may not achieve all the desired results. 
• Portal web application: A portal web application is a single access point to essential data belonging to a particular user type. It offers access to different parts on the home page. Such applications are the best solution for organizations and businesses that want to set up customized interfaces for the needs of their target audience. Therefore, only registered users can log in, while the service provider can track the user’s activities. 
• Content management system web application: CMS is a web app that allows the owner to alter the content without any technical knowledge of the programming language. The information can be modified with the help of an admin panel, and no technical team is needed. There is a wide selection of CMS with diverse designs and specifications, such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
• Animated web application: This is an app in which you can showcase your content together with the animation effects. These applications provide a chance to display creativity and design, which is not available in any other web application type. However, they are not the most suited apps for web positioning and SEO because search engines cannot read such data. 
• Rich Internet web application: RIAs are mainly applications that function as many desktop applications. They are primarily designed to fix the restrictions of a browser and depend on the plugins on the customer side. Such web apps are developed with more efficient and visually appealing resources. They have a more attractive user interface and a better understanding than older desktop apps. Some of the rich Internet web applications can also work offline. Nevertheless, they may cause some risks and inconveniences, as many parts of the app may not work accordingly if the plugin is outdated. 

What Does Web Application Development Include?

Web application development is not significantly different from any other software development workflow. A well-defined procedure and a great team will nearly always help drive successful development and achieve the desired results. 

The web application development cycle consists of 7 essential steps that should be followed to get a distinguished website. The web development process is not only about coding; other aspects also matter. Therefore, a structured procedure is a must to avoid problems.

Step 1: Define the problem

Discovery phase is the first step of web app development in which you define the problem you wish to solve or identify specifically what you wish your customers would use your app for. We come up with many new ideas all the time. However, not all of them are worth to be implemented as they might not provide any significant value or solve a current issue.

Step 2: Plan your workflow 

A workflow helps to build systematic procedures and organization for different sides of your web app development. Consider what requirements your web application will meet and how you do it using your available resources. Your workflow should be oriented in two directions — technicalities and business. 

Thus, your time frame has to be adjusted accordingly to which you want the steps of your web application development to be completed. Such algorithms will help you successfully move your development forward. 

Step 3: Prototype your web application

Prototyping of a web app includes creating an unfinished but fully functional app that will help you get a better understanding of how your final product might look. This software development step is often called minimum viable product (MVP) development. 

Step 4: Validate the prototype

Once you are through with building a prototype, your next step is to make sure that your prototype is impressive enough to let you move forward. Your prototype should receive the necessary validation, so you can continue working on the project you know people are already interested in. 

To validate your prototype, present your web application to potential users. Gather all the feedback from data analysis and continue your work from there. These results will help you prepare the ready-to-market app. 

Step 5: Build the app 

To build an app, you should already have ready all the software ready to build it. In addition, take into consideration which front-end and back-end frameworks and technologies will help you to fully achieve the requirements of your project. Once you have your team and found all the tools ready, it’s time to start building your web app. 

For Devox Software, it’s one of the essential steps in which our web designers breathe life into the approved wireframes. Meanwhile, a team of web developers transforms designs into a working model with scalability in mind.

Step 6: Test your web app

This is the step when QA engineers perform rigorous testing, including front-end testing, database testing, server testing, and others. This way, they can guarantee that the solution built is bug-free. This step, together with software quality assurance, should occur before the initial release of your application to the general audience. 

Step 7: Launch your application

Before officially launching your web application, the web app must be hosted on a web server, just like any website. Therefore, you should purchase a domain name and a hosting provider on the cloud.

Once you have both web hosting and domain, you need to deploy your web app by uploading it to your web host. After the initial launch, there is a need to focus on version control. 

The Most Important Web App Development Components That Affect the Price

There are various aspects that influence the web application development cost. As a software development company, we’ve outlined the seven most important components that are always there:

• Level of complexityThe complexity of a web app is directly proportionate to the development expenses. This is due to the reason that web apps can mainly be categorized into three levels of complexity. Simple apps contain only the essential functionalities. They possess a small number of interactive elements and content so that they can be developed quickly. These include static web apps or MVPs.The second level of complexity is dynamic web apps, which require slightly more resources. As a result, the development process is more expensive due to its interactive pages. Such web apps are usually needed for businesses that wish to expand their customer base and gain more business opportunities.As expected, complex web application development projects are the most time-consuming and require a lot of resources, knowledge, and effort. These include e-commerce web apps which should be customized according to the needs of a company.
• Market scopeIt’s part of the web app development project to conduct thorough market research to understand the scope. With its help, features are selected more wisely according to the market demand.
• Selection of features and designThe selection of features and design majorly depends on your business’s need. This way, you can determine the app development time and costs. For example, besides the must-have features like an admin panel or user registration, there might also be other unique designs required by your web app.
• The pricing strategyIf you are outsourcing your project, you should consider all the pricing strategies and select the most economical one for your project needs, deadlines and budget. There are fixed and hourly-basis pricing policies.
• IntegrationsIntegration of different databases or e-commerce functionality, such as payment gateway or cookies, requires in-depth technical knowledge and experienced developers capable of fixing complex issues. Such integrations raise app development costs.
• Deployment costsIn the web app development procedure, infrastructural expenses often occur, such as covering the costs of web hosting or domain purchase. Therefore, it should also be taken into account as a component that changes the price.
• Maintenance and updatesAfter the app deployment, there is often a need to focus on maintaining issues and bug-fixing. Web app development never stops at the app launch; there are always additions of new features with updated versions. The more new versions there are, the more expenses grow.

How to Choose the Right Web App Development Team?

The web app is like the face of your company. That’s why it should be flawless. A lot depends on the web development team, whether it’s an outsourcing company or in-house. The outsourcing company has to be reliable and have a team of proven professionals who will help turn all your ideas into reality. The right web app development team will be able to collaborate effectively, communicate with you, and deliver a fully developed website using their combined skills.

Consider the following elements when outsourcing web application development:

Cost of Web Application Development: An Overview of Offshore Locations

The main goal of outsourcing web app development is its cost-effectiveness. You want to find the most favourable web app development rates without sacrificing the value of tech expertise. Here’s an overview of offshore locations for web application development:

Eastern and Central Europe

Web app development in countries like Ukraine, Poland, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria and Azerbaijan stands for high-quality, fine education, reasonable prices, and convenient time zones. There is a large talent pool and local web developers often have a university technical education. For example, Ukraine has approximately 16,000 technical graduates per year.

Eastern and Central European countries hit as one of the best countries for outsourcing including motivated workers at a budget check and their ambition. Devox Software is proud to be among this newly emerging community with offices in Ukraine, Poland, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. So we are probably missing out only on the time zones.

Asian countries

India, China, and Taiwan, are among the top 10 outsourcing countries in the world. There are approximately 200 software companies and around one million employees. Despite low market prices, there is often a lack of security and appropriate education. For instance, India lacks privacy legislation, data protection and encryption.

Latin America

Latin America is a common choice by North American countries because of its relatively low developers rate, good command of English and convenient working team schedules. For US clients, Latin America has small time zone differences, so it is possible for team companies to work in real-time and communicate more efficiently. 

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Web Application in Devox Software

Devox Software is one of Ukraine’s top software development agencies that creates design and development solutions for startups, SMBs, and enterprises. 

For instance, ActivePlace is one of our unique projects that combined social media and marketplace features. The team managed to design and build the software product from scratch. Currently, ActivePlace is available in three versions, one of which is a web application. 

Our cost of web application development depends on features and the size of the team involved. For each type of web app, we can do web application development cost estimation and set up a team for a smooth take-off. 

There is no fixed price for developing a web application. The total will vary between $20600 and $101200 depending on MVP development, a ready-to-market app and a custom application with advanced features. Here is the approximate pricing for each stage of web app development:

Got a project in mind? 

There are many factors that influence the web app development cost. Finding the right team among local specialists can be time-consuming and pricey. Therefore, if you wish to achieve harmony in the hiring process and find the optimum web application development cost, it’s crucial to know the best locations and companies to outsource development. 

Our company can become your ultimate web app development partner. We at Devox Software offer a broad array of professional web development services with a holistic approach. Our developers cover all stages of the web app development process, such as discovery, design, full-cycle testing and launch.